2010 review. Hurry up and die, 2010.
Dec. 21st, 2010 05:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
squeefulfishSolstice is as good a day as any to do this.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Fail fourth year. I've managed to fail first and third years before but never a fourth. Go me. Next time I'll have to work on failing a second year just to collect the set.
First ever GA, too. Didn't like it. Came round screaming and crying. Recovery nurse responded by plonking an oxygen mask on me.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Next year: More time with friends. That'll do.
So not really kept, really not kept at all. Despite living in the same city as a decent number of my friends I actually saw less of the non-midwives from the end of March on. Of the midwives, if i wasn't in the same hospital as them, barely saw them either. But such is the nature of the job.
Not making any for next year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Only about 6 million of them. Apparently there's nothing else to do in a recession when it's snowing than to have unprotected intercourse. Girl-ex-J had an ickle boy, too, while wife of boy-ex-J is growing their first.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
For once, no, mostly cos I'm running out of family and friends still seem sturdy enough.
5. What countries did you visit?
Briefly left the island to go to DWcon in Brum with Martha (her 18th birthday present, only 18 months late.) Rather enjoyed myself despite being very, very tired all weekend, only discovering on the Monday just why I was so tired. Managed to go most of the weekend without speaking to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ailbhe, somehow.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A job? More time with friends? Oooh oooh far fewer crazy thoughts. That one'd be really nifty. Would like that far more than anything.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
27th of March. Day I stupidly went to GP then got sent to A+E, do not pass go, do not collect night attire or phone charger. That surgery ruined my year. I'm not talking lightly when I say that. I had to tell my family by text that I was going to theatre. Lovely. Mum was working that night so in bed and the others wouldn't have understood what I was having done anyway, even if it wasn't for the phone o' doom that lets me make calls for 2 mins tops before dying. As it turned out Mum didn't know what it was either and spent the night talking to one of her nuns (who was an obs/gynae specialising in fistula repair) and worrying about me. As I discovered, extended family don't want to know anything about genital surgery and don't bring you grapes. This became a small matter of a small strop later on when Eva got AAAAALLLLLL the attention after her (much more serious) op.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being an absolute god at work one day which led to being the talk of the hospital for weeks. It was a rather intense experience, one I'd rather not repeat anytime soon. I'll (almost) happily talk about this in person (with occasional wide eyed stares and high pitched voice) but not here, never here.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Finals. Jesus. And placement. Making me wonder if I'm actually cut out for this after all. I really am, though. I'm a good midwife, I'm just not a good obstetric nurse.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Working on a top to toe:
?Depression, certainly stress, tonsillitis, URTI, cold that lasted 9 weeks, strange unexplained vomiting on many occasions (subsequently discovered that bananas make me vomit), UTI, UTI, UTI (still no renal scan) Bartholin's cyst, marsupialisation of Bartholin's cyst (don't image search for that one unless you've got my sort of squick levels, at least, not before lunch, size of a golf ball! Apparently the contents looked like Baileys. Never drinking that again.), trapped nerve in left thigh flared up again, had thumb yoinked out of place by labouring woman which took months to heal properly. Got bitten on the ankle by a flying biting thing that wanted all of my blood. All of it. That happened in June. I've still got a scab. Not a scar, a scab. Oh, and another mis, but sure I've stopped counting them at this stage (ok, I haven't, I really, really haven't.)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A "hand-held infrared massager" from aldidl. Worked a treat for shoulder ache after nights. Not a euphemism. No, seriously, I swear. Also finally re-bought Sandman, first set remained with William after we broke up 6 lifetimes ago.
Dresses! All the dresses.
Didn't buy Pretty Shoes, only useful shoes. That's kinda a cool shopping related thing for me.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My own, fuck yeah! I was a fucking GOD!
Andcartographer's, for kind words over time zones.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Can't say, haven't decided what to do about it yet. Might involve talking to a solicitor in the not too distant future.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food, dwcon, repeating placements unpaid thanks to the operation. Not necessarily in that order.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finishing my training! Registration as a midwife! Having a boyfriend who's lovely and knows me really well and is being totally patient about the scared of nookie thing!
I never, ever learn about getting excited about things, do I?
16. What will always remind you of 2010?
My precious, precious girl bits and the agony they caused me.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? Sadder, much, much sadder.
thinner or fatter? Fatter.
richer or poorer? *shrug* No idea. I've reduced my college debts by 1/4, only one lump left to pay off. No income no more though.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise, seeing friends, sex. I did get a fair few swims in this year (pre-breakfast swims at dwcon probably shouldn't rank right up there as some of the best bits of the weekend) and realised just how much of a difference it makes to my mood. I've got to do a lot more of that next year. And more sex. Way more. Cos then I might get over this utter fear of it.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Tylex. It worked really, really well as a painkiller, mostly because 30 minutes after taking it I'd conk out for 2 hours. I'm sure my friends wish I'd done less complaining about my bits, but meh, if I'd had visitors over the month I was in bed sick I'd have got it out of my system then so ye've only yerselves to blame :p
20. How will you spend Christmas?
Hiding? Can I hide? No? Please?
21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
No plans yet. Wanna make some?
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
No. Got swept off my feet a bit but nothing new there. Just wasn't expecting it to come from that direction, not after a decade of knowing the guy in question.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I fell utterly in love with Sherlock. More please, now please, please? Now? The stories weren't fantastic but the implementation was just superb.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Despite everything that's happened this year, no. Hate is too strong an emotion for anyone who's wronged me, they're not worth it. I'm better than that. Nah nah ne nah nah.
26. What was the best book you read?
I shall wear midnight. It. Was. Brilliant. I had to put it down after the first few chapters and go away for a while to process my emotions because Pratchett really got midwifery, a lot more than many midwives ever do.
27. What was your greatest discovery?
Swimming makes me not be the crankiest cow in the universe, I need to swim regularly for good mental health. Why it took me this long to remember this is beyond me. I used to swim at least three times a week and apparently when on holidays one year mum had to get them to pretend to close the pool so I'd come out for dinner. Wouldn't even leave the pool for food, that's saying something.
28. What did you want and get?
Gin.
29. What did you want and not get?
Registration as a midwife. Still gutted. Will get there in the end but Jesus I've had enough of saying that. Nothing you can say will cheer me up about that, don't try.
Also got an extra hole I didn't want.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Gin.
I have no idea what films I saw this year apart from the A-Team and the Hairy Botty one.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing any different to any other day, only with a bit more cake and a few more strops. Turned 33. Jesus. I'm still only 21! Where's this 33 coming from?
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being healthy? That would have been really really nice.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
The year of the cardigan.
34. What kept you sane?
Gin.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Gin.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The nurses and midwives bill, where I can end up being prosecuted if a woman doesn't transfer to a hospital after the regulations require me to suggest it. Where I will be refused a homebirth with an insured midwife and remember, only insured midives are allowed do homebirths without being prosecuted. Only time I've ended up protesting outside the Dáil this decade. I wonder if I could handle the 6 months imprisonment.
37. Who did you miss?
Liz. Jesus, I saw so little of her this year.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
M, for not hating me for what happened that morning in June.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Find out who's doing the surgery and discuss with them what they plan on doing, then sign the consent form. Don't sign it when consented by an SHO you've dragged out from their tea break (because you were sitting outside theatre gowned and capped up waving your notes going "no-one's consented me yet! Would anyone like to get me to sign consent to this before you anaesthetise me?")
That's fairly specific, but if one person learns from it then yay.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Don't dream it, be it."
Mostly cos this was the year of Rocky Horror being _everywhere_.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Fail fourth year. I've managed to fail first and third years before but never a fourth. Go me. Next time I'll have to work on failing a second year just to collect the set.
First ever GA, too. Didn't like it. Came round screaming and crying. Recovery nurse responded by plonking an oxygen mask on me.
2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Next year: More time with friends. That'll do.
So not really kept, really not kept at all. Despite living in the same city as a decent number of my friends I actually saw less of the non-midwives from the end of March on. Of the midwives, if i wasn't in the same hospital as them, barely saw them either. But such is the nature of the job.
Not making any for next year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Only about 6 million of them. Apparently there's nothing else to do in a recession when it's snowing than to have unprotected intercourse. Girl-ex-J had an ickle boy, too, while wife of boy-ex-J is growing their first.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
For once, no, mostly cos I'm running out of family and friends still seem sturdy enough.
5. What countries did you visit?
Briefly left the island to go to DWcon in Brum with Martha (her 18th birthday present, only 18 months late.) Rather enjoyed myself despite being very, very tired all weekend, only discovering on the Monday just why I was so tired. Managed to go most of the weekend without speaking to
ailbhe, somehow.6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A job? More time with friends? Oooh oooh far fewer crazy thoughts. That one'd be really nifty. Would like that far more than anything.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
27th of March. Day I stupidly went to GP then got sent to A+E, do not pass go, do not collect night attire or phone charger. That surgery ruined my year. I'm not talking lightly when I say that. I had to tell my family by text that I was going to theatre. Lovely. Mum was working that night so in bed and the others wouldn't have understood what I was having done anyway, even if it wasn't for the phone o' doom that lets me make calls for 2 mins tops before dying. As it turned out Mum didn't know what it was either and spent the night talking to one of her nuns (who was an obs/gynae specialising in fistula repair) and worrying about me. As I discovered, extended family don't want to know anything about genital surgery and don't bring you grapes. This became a small matter of a small strop later on when Eva got AAAAALLLLLL the attention after her (much more serious) op.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being an absolute god at work one day which led to being the talk of the hospital for weeks. It was a rather intense experience, one I'd rather not repeat anytime soon. I'll (almost) happily talk about this in person (with occasional wide eyed stares and high pitched voice) but not here, never here.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Finals. Jesus. And placement. Making me wonder if I'm actually cut out for this after all. I really am, though. I'm a good midwife, I'm just not a good obstetric nurse.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Working on a top to toe:
?Depression, certainly stress, tonsillitis, URTI, cold that lasted 9 weeks, strange unexplained vomiting on many occasions (subsequently discovered that bananas make me vomit), UTI, UTI, UTI (still no renal scan) Bartholin's cyst, marsupialisation of Bartholin's cyst (don't image search for that one unless you've got my sort of squick levels, at least, not before lunch, size of a golf ball! Apparently the contents looked like Baileys. Never drinking that again.), trapped nerve in left thigh flared up again, had thumb yoinked out of place by labouring woman which took months to heal properly. Got bitten on the ankle by a flying biting thing that wanted all of my blood. All of it. That happened in June. I've still got a scab. Not a scar, a scab. Oh, and another mis, but sure I've stopped counting them at this stage (ok, I haven't, I really, really haven't.)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A "hand-held infrared massager" from aldidl. Worked a treat for shoulder ache after nights. Not a euphemism. No, seriously, I swear. Also finally re-bought Sandman, first set remained with William after we broke up 6 lifetimes ago.
Dresses! All the dresses.
Didn't buy Pretty Shoes, only useful shoes. That's kinda a cool shopping related thing for me.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My own, fuck yeah! I was a fucking GOD!
And
cartographer's, for kind words over time zones.13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Can't say, haven't decided what to do about it yet. Might involve talking to a solicitor in the not too distant future.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food, dwcon, repeating placements unpaid thanks to the operation. Not necessarily in that order.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finishing my training! Registration as a midwife! Having a boyfriend who's lovely and knows me really well and is being totally patient about the scared of nookie thing!
I never, ever learn about getting excited about things, do I?
16. What will always remind you of 2010?
My precious, precious girl bits and the agony they caused me.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? Sadder, much, much sadder.
thinner or fatter? Fatter.
richer or poorer? *shrug* No idea. I've reduced my college debts by 1/4, only one lump left to pay off. No income no more though.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Exercise, seeing friends, sex. I did get a fair few swims in this year (pre-breakfast swims at dwcon probably shouldn't rank right up there as some of the best bits of the weekend) and realised just how much of a difference it makes to my mood. I've got to do a lot more of that next year. And more sex. Way more. Cos then I might get over this utter fear of it.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Tylex. It worked really, really well as a painkiller, mostly because 30 minutes after taking it I'd conk out for 2 hours. I'm sure my friends wish I'd done less complaining about my bits, but meh, if I'd had visitors over the month I was in bed sick I'd have got it out of my system then so ye've only yerselves to blame :p
20. How will you spend Christmas?
Hiding? Can I hide? No? Please?
21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
No plans yet. Wanna make some?
22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
No. Got swept off my feet a bit but nothing new there. Just wasn't expecting it to come from that direction, not after a decade of knowing the guy in question.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I fell utterly in love with Sherlock. More please, now please, please? Now? The stories weren't fantastic but the implementation was just superb.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Despite everything that's happened this year, no. Hate is too strong an emotion for anyone who's wronged me, they're not worth it. I'm better than that. Nah nah ne nah nah.
26. What was the best book you read?
I shall wear midnight. It. Was. Brilliant. I had to put it down after the first few chapters and go away for a while to process my emotions because Pratchett really got midwifery, a lot more than many midwives ever do.
27. What was your greatest discovery?
Swimming makes me not be the crankiest cow in the universe, I need to swim regularly for good mental health. Why it took me this long to remember this is beyond me. I used to swim at least three times a week and apparently when on holidays one year mum had to get them to pretend to close the pool so I'd come out for dinner. Wouldn't even leave the pool for food, that's saying something.
28. What did you want and get?
Gin.
29. What did you want and not get?
Registration as a midwife. Still gutted. Will get there in the end but Jesus I've had enough of saying that. Nothing you can say will cheer me up about that, don't try.
Also got an extra hole I didn't want.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Gin.
I have no idea what films I saw this year apart from the A-Team and the Hairy Botty one.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing any different to any other day, only with a bit more cake and a few more strops. Turned 33. Jesus. I'm still only 21! Where's this 33 coming from?
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being healthy? That would have been really really nice.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
The year of the cardigan.
34. What kept you sane?
Gin.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Gin.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The nurses and midwives bill, where I can end up being prosecuted if a woman doesn't transfer to a hospital after the regulations require me to suggest it. Where I will be refused a homebirth with an insured midwife and remember, only insured midives are allowed do homebirths without being prosecuted. Only time I've ended up protesting outside the Dáil this decade. I wonder if I could handle the 6 months imprisonment.
37. Who did you miss?
Liz. Jesus, I saw so little of her this year.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
M, for not hating me for what happened that morning in June.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
Find out who's doing the surgery and discuss with them what they plan on doing, then sign the consent form. Don't sign it when consented by an SHO you've dragged out from their tea break (because you were sitting outside theatre gowned and capped up waving your notes going "no-one's consented me yet! Would anyone like to get me to sign consent to this before you anaesthetise me?")
That's fairly specific, but if one person learns from it then yay.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Don't dream it, be it."
Mostly cos this was the year of Rocky Horror being _everywhere_.
